Stupid Mistakes
by badly-knitted
Summary: After a less than perfect start, Ryo's day has descended into an endless series of stupid mistakes. Set sometime during the manga.


**Title:** Stupid Mistakes

 **Author:** badly-knitted

 **Characters:** Ryo, Dee, OCs.

 **Rating:** PG

 **Setting:** Sometime during the manga.

 **Summary:** After a less than perfect start, Ryo's day has descended into an endless series of stupid mistakes.

 **Word Count:** 1026

 **Written For:** m_findlow's prompt 'Any, any, stupid mistakes,' at fic_promptly.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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It was turning out to be a day of stupid mistakes; Ryo should have known he was doomed from the moment he got up, showered, dressed, and made himself a mug of hot water because he forgot to add the teabag. He wasn't a superstitious man, but it was a safe bet any day that got off to that kind of start was only going to get worse. It didn't help that he had a dental appointment for that afternoon; it was only for a check-up and clean, but he still hated going. Maybe he should have booked the whole day off instead of just the afternoon.

Because of his dental appointment he opted to take the bus to work. Naturally it was late, and when he boarded he realised he'd left his pass at home so had to rummage in his pocket for change. Wonderful. Thankfully he managed to scrape together just enough for the fare, but he made a mental note to ask the guys at the precinct for any loose change they had. He'd pay them back tomorrow.

He had to run from the bus stop to the precinct, but just managed to scrape in before shift change. Between everyone who was going off shift and all those just coming in, Ryo managed to collect enough change to cover his bus fare to the dentist and back home afterwards, so at least one thing went sort of right, but the rest of the morning proved to be a never-ending series of small disasters.

He filled out a form in the wrong colour ink and had to start over, then found it was the wrong form anyway. He printed out a report but set it up wrong so it came out so small you'd need a magnifying glass to read it. He picked up the wrong keys at the desk and got one jammed in the lock of their assigned car… Dee managed to get it out and fetched the correct set of keys, but Ryo decided it might be safer for everyone if his partner drove.

"The kind of day I'm having, I don't think it's a good idea for me to be behind the wheel of a moving car," he admitted. "The way things are going I'd probably step on the accelerator instead of the brake and run over some innocent pedestrian."

"Are you that rattled about your dentist appointment?" Dee asked, concerned.

"I didn't think so, but…" Ryo shrugged. "Maybe I am. I hate going to the dentist."

"Everyone does. Relax and try not to think about it."

"I am, but all the stupid mistakes I've been making aren't helping. I should've stayed in bed, I'm not safe to be around at the moment."

Dee laughed. "It's not that bad!"

"I don't know; I just hope I don't need to draw my gun for any… Fuck!"

"What now?" Dee asked, amused. Ryo rarely swore, and almost never in English.

"I left my gun in my desk drawer. I'll be right back." He left Dee laughing his head off and scuttled across the forecourt, hurrying into the station house and upstairs to the squad room. Dee was right about him, he thought gloomily; some days he was a complete and utter airhead. Finding his gun and checking it for bullets, just to be sure it was actually loaded, he retuned to the car and collapsed into the passenger seat, only to get his seat belt jammed. "I give up," he groaned as Dee came to the rescue again.

It was almost a relief to finally leave for the dentist; maybe once his appointment was over things might settle down a bit. He climbed aboard the bus, paid his fare, and dropped heavily into a seat, feeling as if he was heading for his execution, which was silly. He had no idea why dental appointments bothered him so much; they just did.

Stepping off the bus at his stop, he checked his watch and realised he was earlier than he'd expected to be. Not wanting to sit in the waiting room for the best part of half an hour, he browsed shop windows for a bit, finally making his way back to the dentist's and going inside. The receptionist looked up at him with a blandly professional smile; she was new.

"Hello, can I help you?"

"Hi. Randy Maclean; I have an appointment."

Checking her computer, the receptionist frowned. "You're late, Mr Maclean; you should have been here twenty-five minutes ago."

"What?" Ryo checked his watch and groaned, realising he must have mistaken the second hand for the minute hand when he'd looked at it earlier, thinking it was a quarter to one when in fact it had been five past. "Oh no! I'm so sorry; I must have read my watch wrong. Does this mean I'll have to reschedule?"

"Ordinarily it would, but you're in luck; the gentleman with the appointment after yours arrived early so he's in with the dentist now. He will be quite a while though; he's having root canal work done. You could come back in about an hour…"

Ryo shook his head. "The way my day's been going I'd better not risk it; I'll just wait here, if that's okay."

"Of course. Take a seat and I'll call you as soon as the dentist is free."

"Thanks." Slumping into a seat in the corner of the waiting room, Ryo picked up a newspaper someone had discarded and as he flipped through it his attention was caught by the daily horoscope. He wasn't sure what made him read his, because he really didn't believe in horoscopes, but it was something to do. 'Sagittarius: Expect to be beset by annoying problems today. It would be wise to plan ahead; you don't want to be late for important meetings or appointments.'

"Now you tell me," he grumbled, tossing the newspaper aside and picking up a magazine instead. He'd be very glad when the day was over and he could just go back to bed. He really would have been better off if he hadn't bothered to get up this morning!

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The End


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